Shon Holland

In this episode, Priten speaks with Shon Holland, a middle school science teacher at Sells Middle School in Dublin, Ohio. After a first career in hazardous waste management and environmental health and safety, Shon made the leap to education about 20 years ago. His experience with both seventh and eighth graders gives him frontline insight into how adolescents interact with technology. The conversation explores his balanced approach to tools like GoGuardian—using technology to monitor without creating surveillance culture—why he believes giving students responsibility actually lightens a teacher's load, and his blunt assessment that smartphones simply aren't healthy for middle schoolers.Key Takeaways:Misuse is inevitable—guidance is the goal. Middle schoolers can misuse anything from rulers to AI. Instead of trying to eliminate misuse, focus on teaching students how to make tools work for them and guiding them when they stumble.Relationships trump detection tools. Teachers who know their students can spot AI-generated work by recognizing when writing doesn't match a student's voice or level—no software required. Treat violations as learning moments, not punishments.Give responsibility to gain freedom. When you trust students with responsibility and show them consequences aren't personal, they give you space to actually teach. The more ownership they have, the less you need to police.Parents need to parent. The research on smartphones and adolescent brains is irrefutable. Kids don't need iPhones—they need dumb phones, landlines, and parents willing to set boundaries even when their children push back.Know the time and place. Technology and AI are fantastic tools that can differentiate instruction, translate languages, and unlock learning. But sometimes you just need human brain power. The skill is knowing when to use tech and when to walk away.